Night Life
by AvataREX
Summary: Korra sneaks out to spend some time with Lin after hours. Chapter 3 is up.
1. Chapter 1

Naga ambled towards Korra huffing and puffing in excitement. Korra grimaced and tried to quietly shush her to no avail. Naga had a soft spot for clandestine nighttime adventures. It was a few minutes past midnight, and Korra didn't want to wake Tenzin and the family. Korra didn't really have a good excuse up her sleeve for why she was sneaking out at such an hour. She hastily led Naga away from sleeping quarters and towards the dock facing Republic City. The city glowed a warm gold in the distance; a bright star gleaming in the inky night sky.

"Come on old girl, I'm happy to see you too but we really need to get moving. We're finally getting a night out." Korra's words fell on deaf ears as Naga continued to jovially whine. Giving up, Korra smiled to herself and began to hum without realizing it. She was going to see Lin tonight. She thought back to the last time they had been together and sighed.

It had been almost a week since Korra had last seen Lin. It was not as if their time together a week ago had been exactly private either-their charge that day had been Meelo. Korra had jumped at the opportunity to take Meelo into the city for the fireworks display without really considering the consequences. She just wanted the opportunity to spend time with Lin away from Tenzin's motherly presence. Her eagerness to spend time with Lin in the city had clouded her judgment to the point that Meelo's hyperactivity looked better than Tenzin's maternal aura. What was supposed to be a romantic day at the Avatar Day festival was handily thwarted by Meelo attempting to airbend a firework back towards the main square. Meelo's misguided attempt to "ride some sparks" resulted in much screaming on the part of other festival-goers and some serious earth bending on the part of Korra and Lin to repair the damage to a cabbage packing factory. The day was a bit stressful, to say the least. And the Fire Nation of yore didn't even have anything to do with it.

All throughout the following week Korra had stayed on the island redoubling her efforts to create an air scooter as a way of repenting to Tenzin for Meelo's near extinction at the festival. She couldn't help but wonder if the near apocalypse would have happened if she hadn't been otherwise occupied with Lin behind a thirty foot Avatar Kyoshi shrine. Meelo had seemed deceptively sleepy and content to sit on Kyoshi's massive feet with his green tea popsicle so that Korra seized the opportunity to pull Lin behind for some quick liplock. It was only two minutes before the screaming started. And then before Korra knew it she had essentially grounded herself for an entire week of uninterrupted airbending training. Tenzin seemed pleased in a rather perplexed way at Korra's sudden dedication to perfecting her newest element. He had been much more protective of Korra since her bending was restored. She knew that he took personal responsibility for her momentary defeat by Amon a few months ago. Korra also knew that Tenzin would not have demanded that Korra be "grounded" after Meelo's almost trip to the stars. Regardless, guilt had kept the Avatar on the island all week. If she couldn't even keep a bald little airbender from nuking the city that his grandfather had helped create then whom could she protect?

But tonight would be different. Korra had finally decided to take a leaf out of Meelo's book and make a (temporary) prison break from the island. Tenzin wouldn't begrudge her for the temporary reprieve from her training, anyways. Korra figured he would much rather her sneak out to spend time with his former lover and father's reincarnation than attempt to single-handedly bring down a dangerous megalomaniac. On second thought…well it was too late. Naga had already slipped into the water as that last thought crossed Korra's mind.

"See you later, Naga."

Naga whined softly in response as Korra slipped through the backdoor of Lin's building. In the bright moonlight the streets glittered slickly under a thin sheet of ice. Before turning her head away she saw Naga contently plop her head onto her paws and yawn. Naga had already spent a few nights in the car shed tucked in the rear of the building. Now that the first snow of the year had fallen Naga seemed to like the arrangement even more.

Korra lightly knocked on Lin's door. Even though they were technically alone now she could still not completely shake the shyness. While Korra waited for the door she could feel her heart pounding in her throat. Korra frowned and shook her head. Why was she still shy? It wasn't as if she had never come to Lin like this before. It wasn't as if she and Lin had never…

Her thought was abruptly stopped in its tracks as the door opened soundlessly and Lin stood before her with one eyebrow cocked ever so slightly.

For a short moment they just stayed in place appraising one another.

"Hey kid. Planning on staying out there all night? I know with the snow and all you must be loving every minute outdoors." Lin finally quipped breaking the silence with a small smile tugging at her lips.

Korra felt a pale pink blush blooming over her cheeks and she couldn't help but smile widely back at Lin.

"I missed you too, Chief." Without another moment's hesitation she went forward into Lin's arms and into the room.

After a moment of pressing her face against Lin's shoulder Korra kissed Lin. Without breaking the kiss Lin lowered them both onto a nearby couch until Korra was straddling her.

Lin finally broke the kiss and quietly corrected, "Ex-chief, you mean."

"Ex-chief, former chief, chief for all of posterity, it's all the same to me." Korra said playfully as she cocked her head and placed her hands on Lin's shoulders.

To that Lin gave a small noncommittal snort and lightly fingered the hem of Korra's waistband.

"Anyways," Korra said as she rested her forehead against Lin's, "I kind of like those types of titles."

Korra looked into Lin's jade eyes and smiled a crooked smile. She quickly looked away, however, fearing that her excitement at seeing Lin was making her too bold.

Lin, however, did not seem to be put-off by the seventeen year old's behavior.

"You do, Miss Avatar?" Lin asked as she frowned in mock seriousness. She then abruptly snapped the waistband of Korra's pants loudly back against Korra's taut stomach. Korra met Lin's eyes again as she let a less wholesome smile creep back onto her face.

"In that case I might have to put you in your place." Lin said casually before immediately flipping Korra onto her back. Korra's heart rate quickened as she looked up at her captor. Lin grinned knowingly in response and pinned Korra's wrists above her head flush against the couch. She stretched over Korra like a satisfied cat.

"Hold on a second, Chief. If I'm not mistaken it seems to me like you don't have your cables on ya. How do you intend on cuffing me?" Korra narrowed her eyes and looked up coyly at Lin, giving in to the talk and her own arousal.

Lin bent down and without warning lightly nipped Korra's breast through her shirt. With that Korra gasped and whined, "Lin! Isn't there some code prohibiting the cruel and unusual teasing of prisoners?"

Lin straightened up and said matter of factly, "I doubt it. And furthermore, there is no need to cuff you…at least for the moment. Now if you would be so kind, Avatar, kindly lose the clothes and relocate yourself to the bedroom."

With that Lin nimbly rolled off of Korra releasing her hands. She spun on her heel and walked off toward the bedroom but not without throwing a smirk back over her shoulder at Korra.

Korra gaped in silence for a few moments at Lin's backside as Lin sauntered down the hall. She subconsciously muttered "Yes ma'm" as she scrambled off of the couch after Lin.

Lin laboriously sat herself up to wipe the sweat off her brow. She used the idle moment to catch her breath. Lying underneath her was the avatar-wide-eyed and chest heaving. She rolled over and lay next to Korra with one hand propping up her weary head.

Lin gave Korra a reassuring though slightly shy grin. She wondered in mild disbelief at how she had ended up in such a state with such a person. She absentmindedly ran a not so dry index finger along the avatar's side as she recovered from the exertion.

Korra bit her lip and turned her head to the side. She let her eyes flutter shut as she caught her breath and listened to the blood pump in her ears. Had she not been so exhausted and spent she may have been bashful as she felt Lin's roaming eyes on her.

After a minute or two of repose Lin gently turned Korra's face back towards her and kissed her. Korra kissed her back slowly and still somewhat hungrily as Lin again climbed atop her. Korra wrapped her arms around the former police chief's neck pulling her closer.

"That was really great, Lin." Korra said softly into Lin's ear before she could wince at the understatement.

Lin broke the kiss-taken aback by the tenderness of Korra's words. This wasn't the first time they had made love. This wasn't even the first time they had tapped at this new and mildly surprising connection. But still, Korra's unsuspectingly sweet words caught the metalbender off guard-completely off guard. Lin knew she was no wordsmith and had no intention of ruining the moment. She wondered if she could have been capable of vocalizing such candid emotions at Korra's age. Probably not- but maybe. There was something about youth, Lin was rediscovering as she discovered Korra, that really captured the way the world really was. She replied with a kiss to Korra's neck just below the jawline.

"I wish there were more nights like this." Korra continued cautiously testing the air. Lin sighed and rested her forehead against Korra's collarbone. You're cracking, squirt -she could hear her mother tease. She was giving in. The truth, however, was that she loved every minute of it. She couldn't get enough of this girl, woman, or whatever Korra was quickly becoming in her arms.

Lin scooted up Korra's length until she was directly on top of her face to face. She again kissed Korra and then pulled back to look into the searching cerulean eyes. Lin rolled her own eyes and grinned widely in the dark. She would concede-there was no point in not doing so. She gave Korra's left breast a quick squeeze and chuckled at Korra's sharp intake of breath.

Lin swooped her mouth down to Korra's ear, gave it a playful nibble, and said, "Me too, kid, me too."


	2. Chapter 2

Electric green eyes flash a fleeting sideways glance over a glistening shoulder. Long, slender fingers pull a compliant chin forward to meet halfway in between. Said fingers urgently grip a forearm, almost too roughly, but release again the very next moment.

She can see Lin reclining on her back-chest still heaving propped up halfway on her elbows. Behind closed lids she watches Lin tilt her head to the side and shoot her the signature half smile. Moonlight slips through wooden shutters and splatters shadows across the pale dips and valleys. Even in the half-light of night Lin is breathtakingly lovely, effortlessly sublime.

Sound from another world breaks into the hazy cloud of her thoughts.

"Are you even listening, Korra?" Tenzin asked softly but firmly as he looked up at her from his scrolls.

Korra's eyes sharply refocused in an instant. She snapped her head to look at him and a loud crack rips through the still air. Korra offered a sheepish grin as she massaged the sore joints in her neck.

"Y-yes of course. Yes I am." Korra sputtered a little too quickly. "As you were saying, the Avatar State is best achieved when…erm…something about mental clarity…"

Tenzin furrowed his brows as he studied Korra in silence for a few moments. He then sighed and placed his hands upon his desk in resignation.

"Korra I know that the last few months' events have weighed heavily on your mind. I admit that it is unfair for you, at such a tender stage in life, to have weathered such…events. But you know as well as I do that Avatar Aang had the onus of ending a century long war thrust upon him long before, well how should we put it, he was conventionally ready. If anything you have just proven to the world that you are a fully capable and in my mind a nearly realized avatar."

Tenzin scanned Korra's face for a reaction to his thinly veiled praise. He had been truly impressed by Korra's spiritual development throughout the Equalist Revolution. When she first arrived at Air Temple Island nearly a year ago he had been mildly appalled by her unwillingness to embrace the spiritual facets of her title. He was more than a little proud of the young woman who stood before him now on the verge of the next chapter of her spiritual enlightenment.

Korra rubbed her eyes and just barely stifled a yawn. She had never been the most rapt listener to such lectures but now that her nights were for the most part fully booked her concentration abilities had only slipped further. She was exhausted during the days now. It was serendipitous that the bulk of her training as of late involved meditation and solitary reflection in attempts to strengthen the bonds to her past lives. Korra was unsure if she could still have handled the rigorous physical training she had underwent in preparation for her fire-bending test. Those days seemed like the stuff of former lives nowadays-and Korra knew what it was like to have former lives. She was getting enough physical exercise when the sun set and the moon rose, anyways, with a certain cat-eyed metalbender.


	3. Chapter 3

After being excused by a merciful Tenzin for a short tea break Korra meandered over to the edge of the dock. She plopped down and absentmindedly swirled the water below her in a figure eight pattern suspended in the air. She looked out over the water at Republic City. Invariably Korra was finding herself longing to be on the other side of the harbor.

The city was a living, steaming, breathing organism of metal and pulleys-incessantly humming and throbbing even through the darkest moments of the night. Even though Korra had come to know the city fairly intimately as she had come to know its former chief of police fairly intimately she couldn't help but still marvel. It represented the point at which all four nations intersected-the locus of earth, air, water, and fire.

And perhaps most importantly, at least to Korra, it was Lin's city. It was Lin's purview, the place where they had first met and the setting of the aftermath.

Korra smiled as she let her tired mind wander back to the events of the previous night.

She had arrived at Lin's a little later than usual that night.

Naga had not been up for the trip as Meelo had fed her one too many moonpeaches earlier that day. A little out of character, Meelo had remorsefully and nobly "borrowed" Jinora's staff to lend to Korra as a commute alternative. Korra lacked experience flying with the staff as she was relatively new to airbending. She had plummeted into the sea thrice before giving up and huffing it across the murky bottom in a bubble. Walking was of course slower than flying, and of course bad flying was slower than Naga.

Lin had just fallen asleep when Korra finally arrived.

"Hey, sorry. Naga overindulged and I had to walk." Korra said softly as she gently spread herself on top of Lin.

Lin shifted to accommodate Korra's weight and mumbled something sleepily into the pillow. Korra dipped down to nuzzle Lin's cheek.

Korra brushed Lin's hair out of the way as she began to lightly kiss the back of Lin's neck. Lin lay motionless face down for another few moments before Korra heard her exhale.

"Am I going to have to wake you up, sleepyhead? It's not that late…yet. Come on you can take a nap tomorrow in your office. If you turn around and let me get you out of this shirt then I'll personally make sure that no banks are robbed tomorrow."

Still no response.

Korra could tell by Lin's breathing that Lin hadn't fallen back asleep. She was just playing hardball.

"Come on," Korra purred into Lin's ear as she began to massage Lin's shoulders. "I'll make it worth your while."

After a few minutes of this Korra herself began to feel sleepy and decided that maybe it was a little late. Sleeping next to Lin was already exciting enough, anyhow. And if they both happened to somehow wake up later at the same time while it was still dark then…well…

"If the offer still stands then I'll give you one hour max." Lin finally said, drawing Korra back abruptly from the brink of slumber.

Lin then nudged Korra off her back with surprisingly agility. In one fluid motion she sat up to remove her tank and toss it to the floor.

Lin playfully patted Korra's cheek and lay back against the pillows. She bit her lip as she watched Korra's eyes grow wide. Korra gawked dopily at Lin for several seconds-caught off guard by this sudden and fortuitous turn of events.

"You see I don't have all night. So get to it, kid."

Lin enunciated the word kid with a certain relish that made Korra's ears begin to prickle and feel warm. She suddenly was not very sleepy anymore. Rocking forward on her haunches she leaned in to kiss Lin.

Lin curled her hand around Korra's neck as she settled into the kiss. They kissed slowly and politely for several minutes to ease themselves into whatever was next. Before too long Lin snaked her other hand up to lightly palm Korra's breast.

Korra sighed softly as Lin's thumb began tracing her nipple. She felt herself harden almost instantaneously in response to the contact. The friction of Lin's hand against her through the thin shirt eventually became intolerable and Korra pulled back to rid herself of her shirt and bra.

She then reached forward to run a hand through Lin's hair as she watched Lin appraise her topless form appreciatively. She watched Lin's eyes grow dark with lust and shuddered slightly as Lin began to pull her towards her. When Lin finally took a nipple into her mouth she moaned for the first time that night. She tightly gripped Lin's shoulders as Lin lazily swirled her tongue around. Another (this time perhaps a bit more meaningful) moan escaped Korra's lips and Lin took it as permission to proceed as she pushed Korra onto her back.

Korra was just beginning to gasp when she remembered that technically she was the one who had promised to make Lin's night. She was reluctant, however, to stop Lin and almost completely lost her resolve to do so when one particularly deep motion made her grip the sheets so hard that she actually thought they might tear. She clenched her eyes shut and grimaced as she felt Lin's fingers curl inside her against a sensitive spot. Every movement of Lin's felt devastatingly good. Korra felt lightheaded as her ears rang and her temples throbbed.

A promise was a promise, though.

Korra grabbed Lin's wrist and tried to sit up. It was difficult to sit up given that Lin remained inside of her until she whined at her to pull out. Lin casually shrugged her shoulders and sat back against the headboard. She looked at Korra quizzically as she brought her fingers to her lips and poked her tongue out for a taste.

Korra lunged forward to intercept Lin's hand and bring it toward herself instead. She slowly licked and sucked on all three fingers-never breaking eye contact.

Lin stared in silent wonder at the delicious spectacle before her. She couldn't remember the last time she had been this…hungry. Before she could react Korra nimbly slid down the length of her body and eased apart her legs. Korra had positioned her head strategically between Lin's legs in a very dangerous location. The playful gleam in Korra's eyes made Lin's stomach muscles clench involuntarily.

"There's no harm in getting breakfast a little earlier than usual. Wouldn't you agree, Chief?" Korra asked in an overly cheery way before lightly flicking her tongue against Lin.

Lin's head snapped back and she bit her tongue to keep from saying something she might later regret. Lin had never been one for coarse language thus it was very tiring and troublesome that coarse language seemed to dominate her vocabulary in such trying circumstances. She was just beginning to regain her composure and formulate an answer to the question as Korra without warning kissed her center full on.

As if it had a mind of its own Lin's hand landed on the back of Korra's head, forcing Korra downwards. Korra, taking the hint, dove deeper and deeper in to eventually find herself at the bottom of the ocean tucked away from everything else.

The dark purple hue of dawn soon began to nip at the blacker edges of night. Purple transitioned into deep pink as night gave way to early morning. Korra slept soundly as sunlight slowly spilled over mountaintops and threw golden flecks all over the harbor waves. Lin soundlessly slipped out of bed as Korra dreamt on.

In her dream she was again deep beneath the sea, only this time insulated within thick walls of ice protecting her from furiously swirling waters. And something, or someone, was calling to her to return to the world above.


End file.
